Pole sign construction

ABSTRACT

A pole banner sign construction which has rugged permanent hardware for supporting a flexible banner generally in a fixed position on a pole. The hardware except for simple mounting plates at the upper and lower ends of the banner may be removed from the pole. A simple rectangular flexible banner is supported under tension on the hardware and is adapted to be folded into a small package for shipment in an envelope. Rigid pull rods are located in the hems at the upper and lower edges of the flexible banner. The hardware support means at the upper and lower ends of the flexible banner positions the pull rods endwise, holds the pull rods against rotation, holds the pull rods in parallelism, and maintains longitudinal tensional pull on the flexible banner between the rigid parallel pull rods. The hardware in maintaining the pull rod parallelism under tension also holds the pull rods against pivotal movement on, or twisting and turning movement about, the pole. A pair of flexible banners may be mounted in the same way on opposite sides of the pole, and any banner may be changed from time to time without the use of any tools merely by detaching the pull rods from the support means, then transferring pull rods from an initial banner to a replacement banner, and then reengaging the pull rods of the replacement banner in place.

United States Patent 1191 Miller et al.

[ *July 23, 1974 POLE SIGN CONSTRUCTION [75] Inventors: Wendell V. Miller; Thomas Friedrichsen, both of Massillon,

Ohio 1 [73] Assignee: The Massillon Cleveland Akron Sign Company, Stark County, Ohio 1 Notice: The portion of the term of this patent subsequent to July 23, 1971 has been disclaimed.

[22] Filed: Sept. 20, 1972 211 Appl. No.2 290,715

Primary ExaminerRobert W. Michell Assistant Examiner-John F. Pitrelli [57] ABSTRACT A pole banner sign construction which has rugged permanent hardware for supporting a flexible banner generally in a fixed position on a pole. The hardware except for simple mounting plates at the upper and lower ends of the banner may be removed from the pole. A simple rectangular flexible banner is supported under tension on the hardware and is adapted to be folded into a small package for shipment in an envelope. Rigid pull rods are located in the hems at the upper and lower edges of the flexible banner. The hardware support means at the upper and lower ends of the flexible banner positions the pull rods endwise, holds the pull rods against rotation, holds the pull rods in parallelism, and maintains longitudinal tensional pull on the flexible banner between the rigid parallel pull rods. The hardware in maintaining the pull rod parallelism under tension also holds the pull rods against pivotal movement on, or twisting and turning movement about, the pole. A pair of flexible banners may be mounted in the same way on opposite sides of the pole, and any banner may be changed from time to time without the use of any tools merely by detaching the pull rods from the support means, then transferring pull rods from an initial banner to a replacement banner, and then reengaging the pull rods of the replacement banner in place.

3 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures POLE SIGN CONSTRUCTION CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT The invention involved improvements in the constructions of the pole banner sign shown in Mollet and Friedrichsen Pat. No. 3,589,048, in copending Friedrichsen application Ser. No. 283,100, filed Aug. 23, 1972, Case (MCl and in copending Miller and Friedrichsen application, Ser. No. 283,565, filed Aug. 24, 1972, Case (MC-2).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The invention relates to banner display signs mounted on poles. Pole signs historically have been of great marketing importance in the oil and gasoline retail industryas an effective means of attracting the passing motorist to the retail outlet.

Flexible pole signs of the types shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,764,830 and 3,589,048 have been received favorably by the oil and gasoline retail industry and long have served the stated marketing purposes. Such pole signs involve flexible banner members supported at their upper ends and spring tensioned at their lower ends on a pole. The flexible banner members sometimes are tied together with spacer wires at one or both of the top and bottom corners of the flexible banners. The tops of the flexible banners have pivotal connection at the upper pole support means in the device of U.S. Pat. No. 2,764,830, and the lower ends of the banners have pivotal spring tensioned connection with the lower pole support means of the devices of both U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,764,830 and 3,589,048. The flexible banners are detachable for easily changing the banner message from time to time in an advertising campaign wherein a series of signs is displayed.

2. Description of the Prior Art The early design of such pole signs as are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,764,830, contemplated that substantially all of the hardware for pivotally supporting and tensioning the flexible banners should be permanently mounted. However, poorly engineered systems, improper installations, rustling hardware, etc., haveresuited in the majority of oil companies preferring temporary pole sign systems wherein new hardware is installed with each pole sign installation.

However, even with temporary systems there is a weak link in that the dealer who installs the system may do so improperly. He may provide too much or not enough tension on the flexible banners which display the sign message. He may not have removed all old hardware from the pole with the possibility that the old hardware may poke holes in the new flexible sign banners.

These considerations have led to long periods of testing of many permanent and temporary hardware systems for flexible pole signs, and to testing of various flexible banner and hardware arrangements and mountings, for determining the best way in which to resist injury, damage or destruction of the flexible banners by the infinitely varying weather conditions to which the signs may be subjected.

In the past, testing of the effect of weather conditions on various sign structures has involved long and timeconsuming tests without always necessarily subjecting the signs to the worst weather conditions that can occur. That is, heretofore, testing has been accomplished by erecting various pole sign structures on the roofs of buildings or at other open test areas, so that the sign is exposed to the weather conditions that may occur during the test period, which may run from months, or even may run for more than a year. Such prior open area testing heretofore has been relied on as the best means of determining the characteristics of pole sign constructions. At best, the results of such tests are limited to the actual changing weather conditions encountered during the test, regardless of the length of testing time involved; and particularly to the velocity of winds or kinds of wind, rain, snow or ice storms, that occurred during the testing period.

Recently a completely new testing procedure has been discovered by which any flexible pole sign structure and mounting may be tested under the worst possible weather or wind conditions in a very short time period of hours or days rather than months or years. Such new testing procedures can be carried out in a few hours or a few days, to subject the signs to wind velocity conditions from any direction, that may exceed miles per hour, as related to the pole sign construction undergoing test.

Information obtained by such tests has indicated that sign constructions such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,589,048, are the least desirable from the standpoint of resisting damage by weather and wind conditions. This defect was discovered to arise because the flexible banner components are rigidly held at the top, but pivotally tensioned at the bottom. With such construction the top corners of the flexible banner material are subjected to a great amount of torque when blown by wind gusts, which may tear the banner material at the banner comers.

Further, it was discovered by such tests that when both the upper and lower ends of the flexible banner components are pivotally connected to the pole support means as in U.S. Pat. No. 2,764,830, as well as in sign structures such as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,882,630, 2,893,147, 3,310,899 and 3,581,420, torque at the top corners of the flexible banners is relieved somewhat, and the flexible banners can, by twisting motion around the pole dump heavy wind gusts.

However, relative twisting and pivoting of the upper with respect to the lower supports can subject the flexible banners to some torque loading.

That is, the devices of U.S. Pat. No. 2,764,830, wherein the flexible banner components are pivotally supported at their upper and lower ends on the pole under tension, and wherein the corners of two opposite flexible banner components are tied together by spacer wires, are less subject to damage from wind and weather conditions than devices of U.S. Pat. No. 3,5 89,048, wherein the two flexible banner components are rigidly mounted at their upper ends on the pole and pivotally tension supported at their lower ends on the pole.

The new testing procedures led to the further discoveries that most materials from which the flexible banners are made, are strong enough in themselves to withstand the heaviest wind gusts, if all torque effect on and twisting of the flexible banners is eliminated. We have discovered that this may be accomplished by holding the upper and lower ends of the flexible banner material in fixed headers, while at the same time maintaining sufficient spring tension on the flexible material to accommodate stretch and billowing factors or forces on the material.

These discoveries have led to a complete change in the requirements for and engineering of flexible pole sign constructions and systems to avoid failures, to provide for changing the flexible banners to change messages, and to provide designs of various kinds of hardware most acceptable to particular purchasers, installers or users of pole signs.

The constructions shown in said copending applications Cases (MC-l) and (MC-2) satisfy these requirements but some purchasers of pole signs prefer to avoid the use of hooks which pierce the banner material to support, hold and tension the flexible banner without torque stress on the banner material.

Thus, a need has been presented, as a result of the stated discoveries, for rugged, permanent hardware having the beneficial characteristics of the construction of US. Pat. No. 3,589,048, while avoiding the disastrous torque difficulties encountered in use thereof, such that flexible banners may be tensioned in position on a pole with hardware that except for simple inconspicuous mounting plates, may be removed when not in use, and which readily may be used to change flexible banners from time to time without the use of any tools; and a construction wherein the flexible banners, per se, may be folded in a small, conveniently handled package for envelope shipping in order rigidly to mount and display successively a series of different flexible banners on the hardware to carry out an advertising campaign, .while eliminating torque loading on the corners of the flexible banners incident to heavy wind gusts; and a construction wherein, the signs may be installed on a pole without the use of hooks.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Objectives of the invention include providing a pole banner sign construction which releasably suspends and mounts a flexible material rectangular banner member or component in tensioned condition extending vertically on a pole with the flexible banner located between upper and lower hardware suspension or support means of a permanent nature, and which holds and maintains fixed parallelism of rigid pull rods carried by the upper and lower hems of the flexible rectangular banner, while holding the pull rods against pivotal movement on or twisting or turning movement about the pole to avoid torque loading of the flexible banner material at the corners thereof, and also while at the same time maintaining a longitudinal tensional pull on the flexible rectangular banner between the rigid pull rods and also while supporting and tensioning the flexible banner without the use of hooks; providing such permanent suspension or support means hardware with its principal components removably mounted on the pole; providing a construction with which successive flexible banners may be mounted to replace one with another without the use of any tools; providing a construction in which the permanent hardware which rigidly holds and maintains the banner pull rods in parallelism at both ends of the flexible banner member involves only the engagement of the flexible banner material by .l-shaped channel members which support the pull rods and flexible material to mount the flexible banner on the hardware, and, in turn, on the pole; providing a construction in which the flexible banner tensioning device is located at and pulls the upper end of the flexible banner upward; and providing a construction which achieves minimum shipping costs for replacement flexible banner members, by the use of banner member components which may be folded to small package size and shipped in relatively small envelopes.

These objectives and advantages may be obtained by the pole banner sign construction, the general nature of which may be stated as including the combination of a flexible banner member generally rectangular in shape, formed of foldable cloth, fabric orplastic material having a hem at each of its upper and lower edges; a rigid, preferably metal, rod or tube pull stick member having a flattened central portion removably contained in the hem at each upper and lower banner edge; upper and lower hardware support and tensioning means adapted to be mounted on a pole for suspending the banner components; the upper and lower support means each comprising a mounting plate adapted to be permanently mounted on the pole; the upper support means also including a J-shaped channel tensioning plate and spring-tensioning means connected between the tensioning plate and the upper mounting plate; the upper J-shaped tensioning plate having an upturned terminal flange extending laterally of the upper support means; a die-cut elongated slot formed in the flexible banner member adjacent each of its upper and lower hems, saidslots having a length sufficient to permit the terminal flange of the upper J-shaped plate to be inserted through the slot; the J-shaped tensioning plate being engageable through said slot in the hemmed edge with the flattened pull rod portion at the upper end of the flexible banner member and adapted to apply upwardly-directed tension to said upper flexible banner end; the lower support means also including a suspension plate having a J-shaped channel portion, the lower 1- shaped suspension plate channel portion having a terminal flange engageable in fixed position through the adjacent banner member slot in the hemmed edge with the flattened pull rod portion at the lower end of the banner member; the upper J-shaped tensioning plate and lower J-shaped suspension plate being removably wedge-mounted on their respective permanently mounted upper and lower mounting plates; the engagement between of the flexible banner and flattened pull rod portions with the upper and lower J-shaped plate portions, maintaining the pull rods in parallelism, positioning the pull rods endwise, and holding the pull rods against rotation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A preferred embodiment of the invention illustrative of the best mode in which applicants have contemplated applying the principles is set forth in the following description and shown in the drawings and is particularly and distinctly pointed out and set forth in the appended claims.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the improved pole banner sign construction of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view, with parts broken away, looking down on the top of the pole sign in the direction of the arrows 22, FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view on an enlarged scale showing the upper support and tensioning means detached from the pole of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view similar to FIG. 3 of the lower support and tensioning means detached from the pole of FIG. 1;

' FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view. taken on the line 55, FIG. 3, showing the upper hardware support and tensioning means;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 66, FIG. 5, with parts broken away;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view looking in the direction of the arrows 77, FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 7 looking in the direction of the arrows 8-8, FIG. 2;

FIG. 9 is a section on line 9-9, FIG. 2; and

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of one of the pull rods, with parts broken away.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the various figures of the drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The improved pole banner sign construction is indicated generally at 1 and includes a generally rectangular flexible banner member 2 and upper and lower support and tensioning means, generally indicated at 3 and 4, respectively, for suspending the flexible banner 2 on the pole 5 under tension. One pole banner sign 1 (FIG. 1) is mounted on one side of the pole 5, and a similar pole banner sign 1a may be mounted in identically the same manner in the other or opposite side of the pole 5 completely separate from and connected with the pole banner sign 1.

The upper support means 3 has a mounting plate generally indicated at 6 and the lower support means 4 has a similar mounting plate 6. These mounting plates are illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 which show the manner in which the plate 6 is oriented when mounted on the pole respectively for the upper support means 3 and lower support means 4. Each mounting plate 6 is permanently mounted on a pole 5 by screws 7 (FIG. 2) which extend through holes in the plate 6.

Each mounting plate 6 has a U-shaped member 9 and a connected wing-like plate member 10, with offset shoulders 11 terminating in wings 12. The shoulders 11 converge toward the bottom as shown in FIG. 4 when the mounting plate 6 forms a part of the lower support means 4, and converge toward the top when the mounting plate 6 forms a part of the upper support means 3.

A lower suspension plate 13 having a J-shaped channel portion 14 with a terminal flange 14a is removably wedge-mounted on the lower mounting plate 6. Plate 13 has a lower mount-engaging channel plate 15 welded to the portion of suspension plate 13 on the opposite side of the J-shaped channel portion 14, as shown in FIG. 4. Mount-engaging plate 15 has an offset portion 16 in which an upwardly opening trapezoidal slot 17 is formed. The lower suspension plate 13 is removably wedge-mounted on the lower mounting plate 6 as shown in FIG. 1 by slipping the offset portions 16 of the mount-engaging plate 15 at the opposite sides of the opening 17 between the wings 12 and U-shaped member 9 of the lower mounting plate 6. The trapezoidal slot formed in the lower suspension plate 13 may be similar to a slot later described in connection with the upper support means 3 shown in FIG. 3.

The upper support means 3 includes a tensioning device connected to an upper tensioning plate 18 having a J-shaped channel portion 19 formed at the lower end thereof and having a terminal flange 19a. Upper tensioning plate 18 is similar to lower suspension plate 13. Plate 18 is preferably welded at 20 at its upper end to the lower end of an inner tubular spring housing member 21, preferably rectangular in cross section, which is telescoped within a larger outer tubular member 22, welded at 23, to an upper mount-engaging plate 24 having an offset shoulder 25 terminating in a bifurcated end 26 which is formed with a downwardly opening trapezoidal slot 27. Slot 27 is similar to the slot 17 formed in the lower suspension plate 13.

A coiled compression spring 28 with a lower connecting hook rod 29 and an upper connecting hook rod 30 extending through the coil (FlGS. 5 and 6) is located within the telescoped rectangular or squared spring housing tubes 21 and 22. Each hook rod 29 and 30 has a hook 31 at one end engaged with an end of the coil spring 28, and each hook rod has a projecting eye 32 at the other end thereof.

The eye 32 of the lower hook rod 29 engages a bolt 33 extending through the lower end of inner tube 21 and the eye of upper hook rod 29 engages a bolt 33 extending through the upper end of outer squared tube 22, normally to bias the inner tube 21 telescoped upwardly into outer tube 22, as indicated by the arrow 34 in FIG. 6, to the normal position shown in full lines in FIG. 5.

When the upper mount engaging plate 24 is held in fixed position on the upper mounting plate 6 (FIG. 1) and a downward pull indicated by arrow 35 in FIG. 5, is exerted on the J-shaped portion 19 of the upper tensioning plate 18, as shown by the dot-dash position of FIG. 5, spring 28 is compressed and exerts a tensional reaction on the J-shaped portion 19 to counter the directional pull represented by the arrow 35.

The flexible generally rectangular banner 2 may be formed of foldable cloth, fabric or' plastic material with a hem 36 formed at each of its upper and lower edges (FIG. 9). The flexible banner 2 may be imprinted with or otherwise display an advertising sign or message on its surface facing outwardly with respect to the pole, viewing FIG. 1. A rigid pull rod, preferably metal tube 37 (FIGS. 9 and 10) is inserted in each hem 36 of the flexible banner 2 for suspending the banner 2 on the pole 5.

The pull rod 37 has a crimped or flattened central portion 38 having a length slightly longer than the lateral length of the J-shaped channel portion 19 of the upper tensioning plate and the .I-shaped portion 14 of the lower suspension plate, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

The flexible banner 2 has an elongated slot or notch 39 die cut centrally in the hem 36 adjacent the stitching at each end of the banner. The slots 39 have lengths sufficient that the terminal flanges 14a and 19a of the .l-shaped channel portions 14 and 19 can be inserted through the slots to engage the flattened central portions 38 of each pull rod 37 within the J-shaped channel portions 14 and 19.

The removable lower suspension plate 13 is assembled and mounted on the lower mounting plate 6 as shown in FIG. 1 to install a flexible banner 2 on a pole 5. In a similar manner the bifurcated end 26 of upper tensioning plate 24 is engaged with the upper mounting plate 6 as shown in FIG. 1. The lower end of flexible banner 2 with a pull rod 37 in the lower hem is inserted in and engaged by the J-shaped channel portion 14 of the lower suspension plate 13 by inserting the-terminal flange 14a through the banner slot 39. At this time the flattened pull rod portion 38 is engaged within the J- shaped portion 14 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 7. In this position, the flattened portion 38 of pull rod 37 positions the pull rod centrally endwise with respect to the suspension plate 13, and holds the pull rod 37 against rotation, and also pinches the flattened pull rod portions 38 between channel surfaces of the J-shaped channel portion 14.

The upper tensioning plate 18 of the upper support and tensioning means 3 then is pulled downward, as indicated by the arrow 35 in FIG. 5, against the tension of spring 28, and the .I-shaped channel portion 19 is engaged around the flattened portion 38 of the pull rod 37 in the hem 36 at the upper end of flexible banner 2 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 8, the terminal flange 19a being inserted through the slot 39 and around the pull rod 37 at the upper end of the banner 2 in completing the assembly.

In this manner the flexible banner 2 is suspended and tensioned between its fixed lower and controlled upper edges on the pole 5.'The lower end of the flexible banner 2 is held in the rigid fixed position shown by the lower pull rod 37, and the pivotal movement of the lower banner end with respect to the pole or swinging movement thereof around the pole is prevented by the fixed position of the lower pull rod.

Similarly, the upper tensioning plate 18 and J-shaped portion 19 thereof, engaged with the upper pull rod 37, hold the upper end of the flexible banner 2 against any pivotal movement with respect to the pole 5 or any swinging movement around the pole. The upper and lower pull rods thus are maintained in parallelism against any relative movement except for tensioned vertical movement of the upper pull rod downward toward the lower pull rod.

Such tensioned movement can occur if wind blows the flexible banner 2 to billow it outward or inward with respect to the pole 5. Such blowing or billowing of the flexible banner 2 is resisted by the tension of the upper support means 3 returning the banner to a taut position as shown in FIG. 1, when the wind gust subsides.

One fundamental aspect of the invention involves maintaining parallelism of the upper and lower pull rods 37 engaged with the upper and lower hems 36 of the flexible banner 2 so that there can be no relative movement of one portion of the banner 2 with respect to the pole 5, or between the pull rods and the pole excepting for billowing of the banner 2 and vertical movement of the upper pull rod 37 with respect to the lower pull rod in parallel relation. This control prevents torque forces from being imparted to the flexible member 2 at its top and bottom corners which in prior structures has resulted in tearing of, and damage to, the flexible banner 2 from windstorms, weather, etc.

It is usual, as shown in FIG. 1, to mount two banners back-to-back on any pole to display signs suspended from the pole in opposite directions. This is accomplished by mounting the upper and lower support and tensioning means on the pole in properly spaced relation. 1

Another aspect of the invention is the permanence of all of the hardware. Thus, when an advertising campaign is being carried out and a series of advertising cated at a service station, in accordance with the invention only the flexible banners 2 are replaced. The replacement is readily accomplished merely by disengaging the flexible banners 2 from the .I-channels, then by removing pull rods 37 from the banners to be discarded, then by inserting the pull rods into the hems of the replacement banners, and then suspending the new banners on the J-channels.

No tools of any nature whatsoever to make such a change are needed, all hardware being present and remaining on the pole during such change.

If a campaign is terminated and no new banner is to be displayed from the pole for a period of time, the banners are removed. All of the hardware including the pull rods and upper and lower support means 3 and 4 is removed from the pole and stored at the service station with only the mounting plates 6 remaining on the pole.

Accordingly, the new pole banner sign construction provides a sign which incorporates advantageous characteristics of prior art pole banner sign structures while eliminating undesirable flexible banner damaging torque characteristics; provides a construction utilizing permanent hardware in which only the flexible banners per se are changed and discarded to change signs; provides a construction in which rigid pull rods located in hems at the ends of a flexible banner are mounted with one end fixed in position on a pole and with the other end controlled so that such other end can move only vertically with respect to the pole in parallelism with the one pull rod; provides a construction in which the flexible banner mounted on and controlled as indicated may be tensioned to compensate for and absorb the force of wind tending to blow the flexible banner out of stretched, taut position, and to billow the flexible material; provides a flexible banner which may be mounted to achieve the stated advantages and which may be folded into a small package and shipped in an envelope to a place of use; provides a construction in which the permanent hardware may be substantially removed and stored between periods of use; provides a construction in which the spring tensioning devices are located at the upper ends of banners mounted on a pole; provides a new construction which may be mounted readily on any kind, type, size or material of existing pole; and provides a construction eliminating difficulties that have characterized prior devices and which solves problems which have been discovered to exist in the art.

In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness and understanding; but no unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirements of the prior art, because such term are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadly construed.

Moreover, the description and illustration of the invention is by way of example, and the scope of the invention is not limited to the exact details shown or described.

Having now described the features, discoveries and principles of the invention, the manner in which the improved pole sign construction is constructed and used, the characteristics of the new construction, and the advantageous, new and useful results obtained; the new and useful structures, devices, elements, arrangements,

parts and combinations are set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In pole sign construction of a type in which a flexible banner is removably suspended and tensioned on a pole, in which the flexible banner is formed with a hem at each of its upper and lower edges, and in which rigid, hollow, cylindrical pull rod means is removably mounted in each hem; the combination of hardware support means adapted to be mounted at spaced upper and lower locations on the pole for suspending the flexible banner; the upper and lower support means including upper and lower mounting plates adapted to be mounted in vertical fixed spaced relation on the pole; the hollow cylindrical pull rod means each having a flattened central formation; the lower support means also including a rigid suspension plate mounted on one of the mounting plates, and J-shaped channel means mounted on the suspension plate engageable in fixed position with the hemmed edge and said flattened central pull rod formation at the lower end of the flexible banner; the upper support meansalso including a rigid tensioning plate having J-shaped channel means mounted thereon engageable in fixed position with the hemmed edge and said flattened central pull rod formation at the upper end of the flexible banner; an elongated notch formed in the flexible banner hem at each of the upper and lower banner edges; the upper and lower J-shaped channel means each including a terminal flange, said flanges being inserted through the banner notches and around the flattened central pull rod formations to hold said pull rods against rotation and against longitudinal movement with respect to the J- shaped channel means; said flattened central pull rod formations being approximately equal in length to said terminal flange and J-shaped channel means; said upper support means also including spring-tensioning means connected to and applying tension between the tensioning and mounting plates; the spring-tensioning means includes inner and outer telescoped tubular members rectangular in cross section; a coil spring housed within the telescoped tubular members with one end of the spring being connected with one tubular member and the other end of the spring being connected with the other tubular member; the coil spring normally biasing the inner tubular telescoped member into the outer tubular member; the rectangular telescoping tubular members forming means controlling tensioned movement of the tensioning plate in a plane passing through both the suspension and tensioning plates; the J-shaped channel means engagement between the ends of the flexible banner and the two pull rod flattened formations maintaining the pull rods in parallelism; and the parallel pull rods extending in directions parallel with said plane and perpendicular with the direction of movement of the tensioning plate.

2. The construction defined in claim 1 in which the rigid suspension plate is removably mounted on the lower mounting plate; in which the upper support means also includes a mount-engaging plate to which the spring tension means is connected; and in which the mount-engaging plate is removably mounted on the upper mounting plate.

3. The construction defined in claim 2 in which the suspension and mount-engaging plates each are removably wedge-mounted on their respective mounting plates. 

1. In pole sign construction of a type in which a flexible banner is removably suspended and tensioned on a pole, in which the flexible banner is formed with a hem at each of its upper and lower edges, and in which rigid, hollow, cylindrical pull rod means is removably mounted in each hem; the combination of hardware support means adapted to be mounted at spaced upper and lower locations on the pole for suspending the flexible banner; the upper and lower support means including upper and lower mounting plates adapted to be mounted in vertical fixed spaced relation on the pole; the hollow cylindrical pull rod means each having a flattened central formation; the lower support means also including a rigid suspension plate mounted on one of the mounting plates, and J-shaped channel means mounted on the suspension plate engageable in fixed position with the hemmed edge and said flattened central pull rod formation at the lower end of the flexible banner; the upper support means also including a rigid tensioning plate having J-shaped channel means mounted thereon engageable in fixed position with the hemmed edge and said flattened central pull rod formation at the upper end of the flexible banner; an elongated notch formed in the flexible banner hem at each of the upper and lower banner edges; the upper and lower J-shaped channel means each including a terminal flange, said flanges being inserted through the banner notches and around the flattened central pull rod formations to hold said pull rods against rotation and against longitudinal movement with respect to the J-shaped channel means; said flattened central pull rod formations being approximately equal in length to said terminal flange and J-shaped channel means; said upper support means also including spring-tensioning means connected to and applying tension between the tensioning and mounting plates; the spring-tensioning means includes inner and outer telescoped tubular members rectangular in cross section; a coil spring housed within the telescoped tubular members with one end of the spring being connected with one tubular member and the other end of the spring being connected with the other tubular member; the coil spring normally biasing the inner tubular telescoped member into the outer tubular member; the rectangular telescoping tubular members forming means controlling tensioned movement of the tensioning plate in a plane passing through both the suspension and tensioning plates; the J-shaped channel means engagement between the ends of the flexible banner and the two pull rod flattened formations maintaining the pull rods in parallelism; and the parallel pull rods extending in directions parallel with said plane and perpendicular with the direction of movement of the tensioning plate.
 2. The construction defined in claim 1 in which the rigid suspension plate is removably mounted on the lower mounting plate; in which the upper support means also includes a mount-engaging plate to which the spring tension means is connected; and in which the mount-engaging plate is removably mounted on the upper mounting plate.
 3. The construction defined in claim 2 in which thE suspension and mount-engaging plates each are removably wedge-mounted on their respective mounting plates. 